The Silicon Valley venture capital powerhouse has found opportunities in both green tech and consumer Internet in the Pacific Northwest in the past few years, backing startups such as Verdiem (power management software for computers), Altarock Energy (geothermal energy), Pelago (mobile social networking) and Trumba (online calendars). Way back when, it also was one of the early investors in Amazon.com.

Kleiner Perkins has led much of the industry in green tech, backing more than 30 startups in areas such as transportation, energy storage and energy efficiency.

“We urgently need to advance our greentech industry at a speed and scale commensurate with the challenges we face,” said KPCB Partner John Doerr in a statement. “We believe green technologies are both the key to solving our energy crisis and a tremendous business opportunity.”

To help with those efforts, the firm tapped former Vice President Al Gore last fall.